The Quick Egg Guide

I bet you have a carton of eggs in your fridge or are planning to buy some on your next grocery run. What kind of eggs do you get? The one that is on sale? The brand you are loyal to for some reason? Maybe it's the carton with the labels that grab your attention? I mean look at all these options!

Whatever your reasoning is, having an understanding of what the labels mean on the carton can help you make more informed decisions.

Grade AA = Highest quality.

Grade A = One step down in quality from Grade AA.

Grade B = Lowest quality, usually used for liquid eggs.

Brown Eggs vs. White Eggs

There is no significant nutritional difference between the two.

The size of eggs will change the nutritional content.

Jumbo Size Egg = 98 Calories, 7.9g fat, 6.7g Protein

Small Size Egg = 59 Calories, 4.8g Fat, 4g Protein

Medium, Large, and X-Large are the typical sizes in between.

"Antibiotic-Free", and "No Hormones Added" are useless claims because federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in all meat, poultry, and dairy.

"Cage-Free" is a misleading claim. This typically means the hens roam in barns in warehouses but the size varies from farm to farm.

"Free-Range" is a misleading claim. Hens have the ability to roam in indoor houses and have access to the outdoors during the laying cycle. However, the duration and quality under these conditions are undefined and vary from farm to farm.

"Organic" eggs come from "free-range" hens that are fed foods that are free of pesticides, herbicides, and commercial fertilizers. However, there is still grey area in the interpretation of the meaning from farm to farm.

"Pasture-Raised" eggs alone have no regulations.

Now with this information, you may be asking what should I buy? Like most things when it comes to nutrition, it depends. But I will share my process below. My process is not necessarily the best process for everyone.

1. Buy farm fresh eggs at a farmers market or local farm.

2. Buy Certified Humane Pasture Raised Eggs.

Humane Farm Animal Care Certified Humane Pasture Raised Eggs, hold strict requirements:

• Hens must have at least 108 square feet of space

• Hens must be outdoors year-round, except during inclement weather.

• The pasture must mostly have living vegetation.

These eggs contain a deeper orange, and red color than other eggs, potentially contain more nutrients like Omega-3 and Vitamin E, and overall taste better in my opinion. The drawback is that they tend to cost more money than the other options.

Depending on your goals, financial situation, dietary habits/needs, health status, etc. will affect what kind of eggs are best for you.